EFFECTS OF INTERNATIONAL MONETARY INTEGRATION ON INFLATION, ECONOMIC GROWTH AND CURRENT ACCOUNT

There are various benefits which countries could derive from the renouncement of a national currency hallmarked by unstable external and internal values. The most evident one is the reduction of a long-term inflation rate. The objective of this paper is to test the hypothesis of the positive influence which monetary integration exerts on monetary stability and economic growth. On the other hand, monetary integration can also cause certain economic problems to countries’ economies, such as the one of the balance-of-payments adjustment. Hence this paper surveys its infl uence on the current account balance of national economies. The hypotheses are tested empirically by examining the sample of 42 countries from different regions and of different development levels. The results suggest that the monetary integration influences the inflation reduction in developing countries, but not the achieved economic growth rates. At the same time, the results indicate that monetary integration contributes to an increase in the current account deficit of developing countries, but not of developed ones.